Floodlight reflector-retaining means

ABSTRACT

A cast metal floodlight body is provided with an arcuate cavity and integral internal reflector-mounting hooks. The reflector trough positioned within the cavity is a resilient sheet having slots adjacent parallel edges to receive the cast hooks. Securing screws retain the reflector trough in position and cooperate with the mounting hooks to shape it.

United States Patent [72] Inventors 'larek Adra La Canada;

Robert P. Draper, Burbank, both of Calif. 2: Appl. No. 761,! 13

[22] Filed Sept. 20,1968 [45] Patented Sept. 28,1971

Primary Examiner-Samuel S. Matthew: [73] Assignee Harvey llubbell, Incorporated Assistant Examiner-Richard L. Moses Bridgeport, Conn. Attorney-Wooster, Davis & Cifelli s4 FLOODLIGHT REFLECTOR-RETAINING MEANS 9Claiila,2Dra\ving Figs.

52 u.s.m

ABSTRACT: A cast metal floodlight body is provided with an arcuate cavity and integral internal reflector-mounting hooks. FZlp 5/00 The reflector trough positioned within the cavity is a resilient [51] Int. [50] Field of sheet having slots adjacent parallel edges to receive the cast hooks. Securing screws retain the reflector trough in position and cooperate with the mounting hooks to shape it.

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PATENTED SEP28 |97l INVENTORS.

i, M M BY 2M ,2 22% FLOODLIGI'IT REFLECTOR-RETAINING MEANS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to floodlights more particularly to unique means for retaining the reflector sheet in the floodlight housing.

Conventional floodlights usually include a housing within which there is positioned a light source and a reflective sheet located behind the light source to provide directional illumination. Often the reflector is in the form of a planar member located behind the light source. Such a construction diffuses the rays of light emanating from the light source to cast light over a large area. When it is desired to develop a collimated beam of light a parabolic reflective surface is usually disposed in the floodlight to insure that the light emanating therefrom is unidirectional. It is very important that the shape of the reflector trough be accurately maintained ,in order to disperse the light in a desired manner. Conventional reflector troughs are generally preformed by a suitable machining operation and the reflector is then secured in the floodlight housing by means of suitable securing means. It should be apparent that these known reflectors are expensive to manufacture and assembly labor costs are proportional to the amount of securing hardware required.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is a primary object of this invention to provide a reflector trough for a floodlight which is properly shaped during its mounting in the floodlight housing and is secured in place by a minimum number of securing means.

Another object of this invention is to provide a floodlight housing for receiving a novel reflector trough having positioning means formed thereon which will retain the reflector in place while insuring its proper shape.

To accomplish these objects, in one form, a floodlight is provided comprising a housing having lamp-receiving sockets mounted therein. A resilient sheet forming a reflector trough is secured within the housing being held therein by suitable means which serve both to mount and to shape the resilient sheet.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING Other objects and further details of that which is considered to be novel and the invention herein will be clear from the following description and claims taken with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing the reflector trough and the floodlight housing with the lens cover removed; and

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken through the floodlight showing the reflector trough properly secured therein.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Turning now to the drawing, there is illustrated a floodlight generally designated by the numeral 10, including a housing 12 made of cast aluminum or other suitable material, having a concave rear wall 14, sidewalls l6, and an open front with a peripheral lip 18. A lens cover 20, including a rim 22 supporting therein a transparent lens 26 made of heat and shock resistant glass or plastic, adjacent sealing gasket 24, closes the front. The lens cover 20 is held in firm abutment with a peripheral lip 18 of the housing 12 by several overcenter toggle clamps 28.

The sidewalls 16 are formed on their inner surfaces with bosses 30 defining therebetween recesses 32 within which usual lamp sockets 34 made of suitable electrical insulating material, such as porcelain, are received. An elongated lamp 35 extends between the lamp sockets 34. On the exterior of the housing 12 trunnion bosses 36 are formed to which may be secured usual mounting supports 37.

Securing hooks 38 are integrally cast on the concave rear wall 14 adjacent the open front of the housing. Four hooks are formed, two on each sloping portion of the concave rear wall of the housing. Reflector-mounting openings 40 are formed centrally of the concave rear wall.

The reflector trough 42 is made of a resilient metal sheet having at least one highly polished surface which is flat prior to mounting in the housing. A pair of mounting slots 44 is defined in the sheet adjacent two parallel edges thereof and two mounting openings 46 aredefined therethrough on its centerline. The mounting slots 44 and mounting openings 46 are formed so as to be in alignment with the securing hooks 38 and the mounting openings 40 of the floodlight housing 12 when the reflector trough is properly positioned therein.

In order to secure the reflector trough 42 in the floodlight housing the reflector sheet is bent and is seated in the housing against the concave rear wall 14. The cast securing hooks 38 pass through the mounting slots 44 and the reflector trough 42 is retained in place by means of two self-tapping screws 48 or other suitable securing means passing through the mounting openings 46 in the reflector and threadedly engaged in the mounting openings 40 formed in the floodlight housing. In this manner no top holding securing hardware is required and the reflector trough so formed is of the proper parabolic or arcuate shape. At the same time the upper edges of the reflector 'trough are held in contact with the housing wall thus promoting heat transfer from the reflector to the floodlight housing by direct conduction.

It should be readily appreciated by those skilled in this artthat a floodlight embodying this invention will be less expensive to manufacture and assemble than conventional reflector assemblies. By the use of the integral cast securing hooks, securing hardware is reduced in quantity while ensuring the easily repeatable parabolic formation of the reflector sheet and the proper wall contact.

It should be understood that the present disclosure has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the true spirit and the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

What is claimed is:

l. A floodlight comprising: a housing; means located within said housing for receiving a lamp; resilient means for forming a reflector secured within said housing; and means for mounting and shaping said resilient means to form an arcuate reflector, said mounting means maintaining said reflector in substantial contact with said housing along outer edges and a midportion of said reflector to promote heat transfer therebetween.

2. The floodlight defined in claim 1 wherein said resilient means comprises a metal sheet.

3. The floodlight defined in claim 1 wherein: said means for mounting and shaping includes hooks formed on said housing for supporting and positioning said resilient means, and fastener means for securing said resilient means to said housmg.

4. The floodlight defined in claim 7 wherein said metal sheet includes a pair of parallel edges, and said slots are located adjacent said parallel edges thereof and said openings are located on a line parallel to and equidistant from said parallel edges.

5. A floodlight comprising: a cast metal housing having a cavity therein with a concave wall and an open end; means located within said housing for receiving a lamp; resilient means for forming a reflector secured within said housing and supported by said concave wall; and means for mounting and shaping said resilient means to form an arcuate reflector including cast integral hooks located on opposite sides of said concave wall near said open end of said housing.

7. A floodlight comprising: a housing; means located within said housing for receiving a lamp; resilient means for forming a reflector secured within said housing; and means for mounting and shaping said resilient means to form an arcuate reflector, said means for mounting and shaping including hooks formed on said housing for supporting and positioning said resilient means, and fastener means for securing said resilient means to said housing; said resilient means including a metal sheet having slots therein to receive said hooks and having openings therein to receive said fastener means.

8. A flood light comprising: a cast metal housing having an arcuate cavity therein; means located within said housing for receiving a lamp; resilient means for forming a reflector secured within said housing; and means for mounting and shaping said resilient means to form an arcuate reflector, said means for mounting and shaping including cast integral hooks UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No- 3,609,337 Dated September as, 1971 Inventor(s) Tarek Adz-a,l et. al.

It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 1, line 5, and should be inserted after "floodlight". Column 2, replace claims 4, 5 and 7 with the following:

4. A floodlight comprising: a housing; means located within said housing for receiving a lamp; resilient means for forming a reflector secured within said housing; and means for mounting and shaping said resilient means to form an arcuate reflector, said means for mounting and shaping including hooks formed on said housing for supporting and positioning said resilient means, and fastener means for securing said resilient means to said housing; said resilient means including a metal sheet having slots therein to receive said hooks and having openings therein to receive said fastener means.

5. The flood light defined in claim 4 wherein said metal sheet includes a pair of parallel edges, and said slots are located adjacent said parallel edges thereof and said openings are located on a line parallel to and equidistant from said parallel edges.

6. A floodlight comprising: a cast metal housing having a cavity therein with a concave wall and an open end; means located within said housing for receiving a lamp; resilient means for forming a reflector secured within said housing and supported by said concave wall; and means for mounting and shaping said RM uscoMM-Dc: BOS'IG-PGD [1.5T GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE I 1959 O355-33l.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,609,337 Dated September 28 1971 Inventor(s) Tarek Adra, et. al. --2-- It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

7. The floodlight defined in claim 6 wherein said resilient means includes a metal sheet having slots therein to receive said hooks.

Signed and sealed this 12th day of December 1972.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents ORM 90-1050 (10-69) USCOMM-DC GOSIG'F'BQ s u 5 GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE Ina o-36s-a34 

1. A floodlight comprising: a housing; means located within said housing for receiving a lamp; resilient means for forming a reflector secured within said housing; and means for mounting and shaping said resilient means to form an arcuate reflector, said mounting means maintaining said reflector in substantial contact with said housing along outer edges and a midportion of said reflector to promote heat transfer therebetween.
 2. The floodlight defined in claim 1 wherein said resilient means comprises a metal sheet.
 3. The floodlight defined in claim 1 wherein: said means for mounting and shaping includes hooks formed on said housing for supporting and positioning said resilient means, and fastener means for securing said resilient means to said housing.
 4. The floodlight defined in claim 7 wherein said metal sheet includes a pair of parallel edges, and said slots are located adjacent said parallel edges thereof and said openings are located on a line parallel to and equidistant from said parallel edges.
 5. A floodlight comprising: a cast metal housing having a cavity therein with a concave wall and an open end; means located within said housing for receiving a lamp; resilIent means for forming a reflector secured within said housing and supported by said concave wall; and means for mounting and shaping said resilient means to form an arcuate reflector including cast integral hooks located on opposite sides of said concave wall near said open end of said housing.
 7. A floodlight comprising: a housing; means located within said housing for receiving a lamp; resilient means for forming a reflector secured within said housing; and means for mounting and shaping said resilient means to form an arcuate reflector, said means for mounting and shaping including hooks formed on said housing for supporting and positioning said resilient means, and fastener means for securing said resilient means to said housing; said resilient means including a metal sheet having slots therein to receive said hooks and having openings therein to receive said fastener means.
 8. A flood light comprising: a cast metal housing having an arcuate cavity therein; means located within said housing for receiving a lamp; resilient means for forming a reflector secured within said housing; and means for mounting and shaping said resilient means to form an arcuate reflector, said means for mounting and shaping including cast integral hooks located on the walls of said cavity near the open end of said housing, openings formed in said housing along the central horizontal axis of said arcuate cavity, and securing screws threadedly engageable in said openings.
 9. The floodlight defined in claim 8 wherein said resilient means includes a metal sheet generally rectangular in shape having slots therein located adjacent parallel edges thereof, to receive said hooks, and openings therein located on an axis parallel to and equidistant from said parallel edges, to receive said securing screws. 